Original Blade Runner Screenwriter in Talks to Write Sequel

Hampton Fancher would pen a follow-up taking place 'some years after the first film concluded.'

With Ridley Scott's Alien prequel Prometheus on the immediate horizon, attention has shifted towards another follow-up to one of of early hits. No, not The Duellists 2: The Deady Art of Illusion, it's the Blade Runner sequel that's in development at Alcon Entertainment, the company that brought you The Blind Side. Don't let that worry you too much, though. They've made the impressively classy decision to hire one of Blade Runner's original screenwriters, Hampton Fancher, to pen the new installment. Fancher also contribued screenplays to The Mighty Quinn and The Minus Man.

In a new press release from Alcon confirms only that the sequel will take place "some years after the first film concluded." Alcon's co-founders and co-Executive Officers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove said of the collaboration, "It is a perfect opportunity to reunite Ridley with Hampton on this new project, one in fact inspired by their own personal collaboration, a classic of cinema if there ever was one."

One of Fancher's early scripts for Blade Runner was decried by the author of the original short story, famed sci-fi author Philip K. Dick, who referred to the film's take on the storyline as "but was heavily rewritten by both Fancher eventual co-screenwriter David Webb Peoples, who called it "Phillip Marlowe meets The Stepford Wives." Eventually Dick came around, and the film (eventually co-written by Unforgiven's David Webb Peoples) went on to become one of the most respected science fiction movies ever made, particularly after the release of Ridley Scott's director's cuts.

CraveOnline will be back with more Blade Runner 2 news after we pick up the tortoise.